Speedometer cable question.

[Joe Z]

A few years back my factory speedo cable busted at the trans. I didn't measure it but tossed it and ordered one for my trans. The a833 manual 3 speed OD. I had it tore down to the frame and by the time I had it together enough to install the new cable it was too short and too late to return it. All the cables listed for this trans are 61". It's barely able to touch the cluster and constantly pops out. I'm tearing some of the truck back apart and want to fix this. So the question is are all the cable ends the same? I saw an 80" one piece cable but don't know if all the ends are the same and all the parts sites and auto shops say the 61" is the correct fit and not the 80" but the 60" definitely isn't long enough.

[mongocanfly]

the ends should be the same.....how do you have yours routed?

[Joe Z]

I ran it the same as the original cable was from the trans it runs across the floor at a bit of an angle staying on the inside of the frame rails, then it runs up the firewall and into the cab. There's two metal clips that held the original one up but the one I have now is pulled to tight to even get near the clips.

I swapped the cab and put the cable in at the same time back in 2014. It's an 81' 2wd stick so it had a high hump floor originally now it has an 82' low hump floor cab on it. I don't think that had anything to do with it because both are listed as the 60" cable. And the transmissions from both are different but they are the same overall length and the cable attaches in the same location.

[Dead Parrot]

Maybe it changed in later years but my 75 with a TH350 has a short ~18" piece that connects to the transmission. A longer piece runs from the speedometer and connects to the end of the shorter one. My 79 Camaro had the same setup and it had a 4sp manual. 60" sounds about right for what both had from the speedometer to the short transmission piece. I think the longer(80") one is for a cruise equipped vehicle to run from the transmission to the cruise unit.

[geezer#99]

Talk to these guys. They’ll have an 80 incher or extension that will work.

https://transmissioncenter.net/?swoo...cables&paged=1

[blindbug]

How hard is it to replace the speedometer cable without tearing a bunch of stuff out? I can get the cluster out no problem. My speedometer cable is loud and annoying.

[mongocanfly]

changing a cable is really no big deal....getting to the back of the speedometer is the hardest part..

[mongocanfly]

what year model truck do you have? summit shows 83" for a 76....and 61" for a 80

[rgunlock]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

changing a cable is really no big deal....getting to the back of the speedometer is the hardest part..

Actually, IMHO, I think getting the new cable through the firewall grommet may be tougher based on my own experience.

[Joe Z]

I have to agree about the firewall grommet being a pain.

Back to the original topic:
My 81 has the earlier 73-80? interior and was original to the 81' cab from what I was told when I got the truck. Now it has the 82' cab but the tranny in it is an aluminum a833 which was supposed to be original though the earlier ones 81-84 are supposed to be cast iron from what I read. So I don't know exactly what's what but if the cab is different the a833 has the same dimensions as the sm326 3 speed (factory from the 82' I got the cab off of) the cable should be a 60" as both are listed that way. However this isn't the case. I think I'll just buy the 80" one I saw at a local shop and see if it fits.